AirPods with cameras would arrive this year, perhaps with the branding “AirPods Ultra”. And after a new revelation, the product we are talking about makes a lot more sense to me.
New AirPods to add cameras for visual intelligence, but that may not be the whole story
Rumors from multiple sources have long indicated that AirPods will gain IR (infrared) cameras this year.
We previously thought this new model would be a variant of the AirPods Pro 3 at around $299. Likewise, you can choose AirPods 4 without active noise cancellation for $129 or with ANC for $179.
But with indications that Apple plans to expand its “Ultra” product line this fall with the first iPhone Ultra and MacBook Ultra, an “AirPods Ultra” name now seems more likely.
Regardless of the brand, one thing that seems clear is that AirPods with IR cameras are coming.
What is not so clear is Why they are coming.
Mark Gurman reported at Bloomberg that the cameras will allow Apple to offer a variety of new visual intelligence features. Earlier this month he wrote:
The idea is to allow users to ask questions about something they might be looking at. For example, they might be confronted with food ingredients and asked what they should cook for dinner. It’s a similar experience to what someone gets when uploading photos to AI services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or the iPhone’s own visual intelligence feature.
Apple has also been working on other uses for AI cameras. The device could give the user a reminder based on something the camera sees, or it could use external visuals to provide more advanced step-by-step instructions. The AI could cite a specific landmark ahead to tell users when they should turn.
These camera uses sound good, but none of them really explain, to me, why Apple would put cameras in AirPods.
However, an announcement from the company earlier this week may provide an explanation.
Camera-equipped AirPods could build on health and accessibility benefits
Earlier this week, Apple revealed its lineup of new accessibility features available in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 and more.
And perhaps more than any other year, the new features offer strong hints about other features and products in the works.
For example, improvements to voice control highlight the agent-like capabilities Apple announced for Siri and which should be available in iOS 27.
And a video showing the improved VoiceOver feature in action seems perfectly suited to camera-equipped AirPods.
Watch the video below, followed by Apple’s description of the new AI-based upgrades:
With Apple Intelligence, these essential tools become even more powerful. VoiceOver’s Image Explorer uses Apple Intelligence to provide more detailed descriptions of system-wide images, including the contents of photographs, scanned invoices, personnel records, and other visual content. With updates to Live Recognition, VoiceOver users can press the Action button on iPhone to quickly ask a question about what’s in the camera’s viewfinder and get a detailed answer. Users can also ask follow-up questions in their own words to get more visual information.
The new live recognition capabilities, and even the concepts behind Image Explorer, both seem like an obvious fit for what camera-equipped AirPods can enable.
In the video, the user must point their iPhone at the objects they want to identify. But with camera-equipped AirPods, all they need to do is say, “Siri, what do you see?” »
There are obviously plenty of examples where users with 20/20 vision could still benefit from the cameras, like the uses Gurman mentioned. But these accessibility features could prove even more transformative and useful.
AirPods taking health and accessibility further makes a lot of sense
When AirPods Pro 2 launched support for hearing aids, hearing health, and hearing protection, it was a big step toward the product becoming a healthcare device.
Last year, with the AirPods Pro 3, a heart rate sensor continued this trend.
With cameras and visual intelligence, the new AirPods Ultra could go further in the area of health and accessibility. And if this is a key part of Apple’s story about adding cameras to AirPods, it won’t surprise me at all.
What is your interest level in AirPods with a camera? Let us know in the comments.
Best AirPods Pro deals and accessories
FTC: We use automatic, revenue-generating affiliate links. More.
